Device for igniting shell-fuses.



v.' c. DOUBLEDAY.

DEVICE FOR IGNITING SHELL FUSES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1917.

1,260,287 Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

AT FFIC.

; .vrnnnnorcomvnr noUB EnAY, or onnon, ENGLAND.

'nrivion r03 IGNITINGSHEQLL-FUSES.

"Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented" Mari 19,1918.

Original applicatiomfi'lea flovember'fwi 1915, Serial No: 63,811.Divided andthis=applicjation filed February 1 24,1917. SerialNo.150,848. I

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, VILLEROY CoRNnY V DOUBLEDAY, a subjectof the King ofGreat Britain, residing at'Ldndon', England, have invented a new. andusefullmproved Def vice for Igniting Shell-Fuses, of which the 3following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved clevice for igniting shell fuses,chiefly applicable to pneumaticguns.

Explosive projectiles which are intended to explode not on imp-act butafter a predeftermined period reckoned from the moment at which they aredischarged from the gun, usually contain a time fusewhich when thepropelling force is provided by an explosive, 1s ignited simultaneouslywith the explosion of the propelling charge, by

{the high temperature gases engendered thereby. I

Such being absent inpneumatic guns, gas guns and the like, where. noexplosion but previous compression supplies the propelling force, othermeans for ignitingthe time fusesof the shells have to be adopted, and

it is the object ofthis invention to provide reliable, inexpensive andconvenient means ,for this purpose.

These means may however be employed in guns of any kind, irrespectivelyof the pro.-

pelling medium and evenin guns using high explosives for propelling orthrow ng prol .jectilesftimed to explode at a given mo- I yment,variable at will, may. form an alternative or additional safeguard forinsuring the explosion of the shell charge;

The said means consists broadly in utmuzzle of the gun, or n closeproximity thereto, which the nose of the shell carrying a .detonatorstrikes and thrusts away; the impact firing the detonator and the latterigniting the time fuse in the usual manner.

In carrying "out the invention, for ex ample, by means of a fixedconstruction, which may be used for a number of consecutive shots, Iattachan arm outside the gun muzzle which by ,means of links, levers andthe bore close to the muzzle. 1 "Such anvil, disk, block,

the like holds normally a metal disk, anvil, hammer, weight orthe likein the center of hammer or the like, may be suitably thickened in thecenter impact of the shell nose or its detonator and is then violentlyflung aside, the shock I being partly orwholly taken up by link- Workand the like, preferably by spring joints, helical screws, inclines orthe like, so that the disk or weight may return by gravity, spring poweror the like to its normal position. i

In the preferred form however,.the 0bstacle is detachably slipped on themuzzle and held by wire, strips of metal or the like and lost with eachshot, being of so inexpensive a nature that this does not matter.

In the accompanying drawing Figures 1, 2 and 3 show views of aconvenient form of obstacle support carried out in sheet iron, and

Figs. 4, 5 and6 show a similar support made from wire, both formssupporting a disk or the like-having suiiicient inertia to operate onimpact a detonating device pro vided on or protruding from within thenose of the shell.

The obstacle 18 shown in section in Fig. .1 i

has a groove 19 to receive prongs 20 of a carrier clip 21, Figs. 2 and3, forced over one shoulder 22 of the obstacle, and this clip or wirecoils 26 may be employed to hold I the obstacle centrally relatively tothe 1nuzzle 30 as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6,'where wire arms 31 partlyor wholly encircle the obstacle. The wire arms being partly coiledaround the groove 19, allow of being closed up, as in Fig. &,conveniently for transport. As a shell leaves. the muzzleof the gun, itstrikes the obstacle 18 whereby the shell detonating device "carried atthe nose of the shell (not shown) is caused to ignite the time fuse. p

The projectile will not be deflected by striking against the obstaclebecause the impact takes place while the body ofthe bore of the shell isstill guided within the gun barrel.

I claim: I i

- 1. A shell detonating device comprising an obstacle, and means forsupporting the obstacle at the muzzle of a gun.

2. A shell detonatlng device comprising a grooved obstacle anda carrierhavinga art rommm withm't grow; in the ob V V 7 grooved obst'acle garrir cli pfprongs on stacle, chps extgnchng outwardly theresaid cliplodged-.inthe groove in the 0b- 10 7 from.

W I v V V K 7' tstacle; claws-extendiilg from the clip. jAshelldetonatingdevice comprisinga 7 5 grooved obstacleyand a carrier011p provided Y Q F withprongs-10dged in the grogve in the, 'w tnesseszr7 "-;'T sta le- V V f ERNS TAP R

